This invention relates to a portable carrier for helmets commonly used in various sports.
It is now a requirement that the participants in certain organized sports such as baseball, softball, hockey, football, lacrosse and the like wear protective helmets. This safety rule has been adopted by the various professional leagues as well as amateur and semi-professional organizations. While the form and design of the helmets varies, most have at least one protective ear section that is provided with a side opening therethrough for hearing purposes. Most of such helmets include protective sections for both ears and each section has the side openings in alignment with each other. Inasmuch as games are frequently played at many different parks, the packing and transportation of a team's numerous helmets has often posed considerable problems. It has been customary in the past to gather all of the helmets after a game and haphazardly store them in a duffle bag or similar container. Carrying means of this type, previously provided for this purpose, have not been entirely satisfactory since their bulk and weight do not facilitate transportation. Also, the size and weight of many such carriers make them unfit to be carried by small children who are players in many of the leagues.
Another shortcoming of the helmet carrier resides in the fact that they often are unable to store the helmets in a fashion that permits easy access when they are to be used. Consequently, it is not uncommon to find that helmets have been lost or misplaced when stored and carried using prior art carrying means.
Lastly, the prior art carriers are often abusive to the helmets tending to reduce their useful life.
It is thus an object of the invention to provide a helmet carrier that permits easy insertion and removal of the helmets without disturbing other helmets stored.
Another object of the invention is to provide a relatively inexpensive carrier of a weight and size that render it manageable and portable by small children.
A further object of the invention is to provide a helmet carrier that permits storing or packing of numerous helmets in an orderly fashion within a relatively small space.